Long line forms for chance to see Obama

Town hall meeting Saturday; Clinton announces details of Monday stops

Town hall meeting Saturday; Clinton announces details of Monday stops

May 30, 2008|By Scott Waltman and James Kruger, swaltman@aberdeennews.comjkruger@aberdeennews.com

As rain trickled down Thursday, hundreds of people turned out for the chance to see Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., this weekend in Aberdeen. Some waited for more than an hour for the tickets required for the town hall meeting the Democratic presidential candidate is scheduled to host at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Aberdeen Civic Arena. “It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” said Ricky Robinson, an Obama supporter from Michigan, who traveled from Ellendale, N.D., where he attends school, to make sure he got a ticket. With a line snaking around the building, Obama's Aberdeen office at 13 Second Ave. S.E. began issuing the free tickets at 5:09 p.m. Thursday. People who go to the rally should think about arriving early and might have to walk a few blocks to the arena, said Capt. Neil Bittner of the Aberdeen Police Deparment. The main arena parking lot is closed for construction, and some streets around the venue will be closed for security reasons, Bittner said. He encouraged people to use downtown parking lots. A few hours after Obama's office started issuing tickets, the details of President Bill Clinton's Monday visit to the northeast part of the state were released by his wife's campaign. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., is Obama's competition as South Dakotans head to the primary polls Tuesday. Bill Clinton is making four stops in this corner of the state: 11 a.m.: Milbank Visitor Center, 1001 E. Fourth St. 1:15 p.m.: 717 E. Pine St., Sisseton. 3:30 p.m.: In Webster at a site yet to be determined. 5:30 p.m.: In front of Graham Hall on the campus of Northern State University in Aberdeen. In the event of rain, the event will be held at Dacotah Hall. No tickets are needed. The events are free and open to the public. Some people in line for Obama tickets didn't mind the wait. “It was worth it - totally worth it,” said Alisha Warrey, the first to get a ticket, and who waited in line for an hour and a half. “I wanted to be the first in line here, so I knew I could make it.” Others in line said they wanted to attend the event, not to see their candidate of choice, but to help determine what decision they will make. “I think it's important to see them firsthand, so you can get a feel for how they'll be as president,” Victoria Barr of Aberdeen said. Volunteers for Obama asked people to supply their phone numbers, addresses and e-mail addresses to get the tickets. A get-the-vote rally was also scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, and volunteers asked the crowd for their participation. However, some in the crowd, like Pegi Knox of Aberdeen and another of those first in line, said they were sure how the primary was going to turn out. Knox said she even brought her grandson along so he can get interested in politics and witness history. “When he becomes president, he can go to school and say he's seen the next president of the United States,” said Knox. Tickets will also be available at Obama's Aberdeen office from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today. The doors will open at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.